Garment-holder.



No. 649,584. PatentedMay l5,- I900.

F. L. NAPiER.

GARMENT HOLDER.

(Application filed July 22, 1899.)

{No Model.)

Jrcvenfar 1H: Norms PETERS cu, PNOTD-UTMO. wmunawu. n. c.

UNitnD STATES PATEN Orric.

FRANK L. NAPIER, OF ST. JOSEPH, ct'lltll'llGAN.

GARMENT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,584, dated May 15, 1900.

Application filed July 22, 1899. Serial No. 724,880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. NAPIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Garment-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to garment-holders and contemplates the provision of a simple and inexpensive device calculated to hold trousers, coats, and other garments in straight compact piles in such manner that there is no liability of the pile toppling over, and any one of the garments may be readily removed from or replaced in the pile without disturbing or disarranging the garments above or below it and without the necessity of the salesman handling and thereby deteriorating said garments.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved garment-holder in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base and uprights of the holder as they appear when the superposed leaves are removed therefrom. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the leaves, illustrating a marker thereon. Fig. 4 is a similar View illustrating a modified marker. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the leaves. Fig. 6 is a similar view of a leaf embracing a modified construction.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, A is the base of my improved holder, which maybe a board, as shown, or a counter, table, shelf, or the like.

13 B are uprights, which are preferably formed by metal rods and are suitably connected at their lower ends to the base A, and C O are superposed leaves of wood,cardboard, or other suitable material, which are loosely connected to the uprights in such manner as to permit of their being raised or lowered bodily on said uprights and moved horizontally into and out of engagement with the same.

The leaves 0 are preferably made in the form of the garments to be held, as is also the base A, when a board constitutes the latter, this being done in order that the edges of the garments interposed between the leaves may be exposed after the manner shown in Fig. 1. The leaves 0 and the'base A are also provided with smooth surfaces in order to facilitate the placing and removal of the garments and prevent deterioration thereof incident to such placing and removal.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the leaves C are superposed and connected to the uprights B in the manner shown that is to say, the leaves are provided with open-mouth seats to receive the uprights, the said seats being in the form ofbayonet-slots a, adapted to loosely receive the uprights B. From this it follows that the leaves may be moved horizontally into and out of engagement with the uprights.

Drepresents markers which are designed to bear the size of the garments on their respective leaves. These markers are preferably in the form of cards and are connected to the up per faces of the leaves adjacent to the outer left-hand corners of the same by adhesive material or other suitable means. In lieu of the markers D markers D, one of which is shown in Fig. l, may be employed. Said marker D comprises two sheet-metal strips 0, bent upon themselves to clasp a card d, interposed between them, and is designed to be connected to the outer end of a leaf 0 by links e,as shown. The markers D and D are not essential to the successful use of my improved holder, but are preferably employed, inasmuch as they render it unnecessary to attach to the garments labels bearing the respective sizes thereof.

The holder illustrated is designed to hold trousers, and hence the base A and leaves 0 are shaped in conformity to a pair of trousers folded once, as shown. In using the said holder the trousers are interposed between the several leaves 0 and between the lowermost leaf and the base A. When thus placed, the trousers will be held in a straight compact pile, and no matter how high the pile is made there is no liability of its toppling over. When it is desired to take a pair of trousers from the pile, the salesman has but to grasp and draw the same out, this operation being rendered easy by the smooth surfaces of the leaves, which also prevent injury to the garment. To re p I v place a pair of trousers-in the pile, the salesman has but to raise the leaf above that o'n-= which it is desired to place the trousers and slide the said trousers to position'.

Trousers held in my improved holder are subjected to more'or less pressure and are thereby kept in good shape and esteem wrinkles; They are also protected to a great extent from dust, and hence do not. have to be subjected to frequent brushings, which tends to wear the nap off the cloth and make ed to be shoved into engagement and drawn out of engagement with the uprights B. The leaves 0 and O are furthermore advantageous in that a salesman is enabled to removeone ofthem from the center of a pile and replace itat the top of the pile to better display the trouserswhich it bears.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that while very simple and inexpensive my improvedholder is of material assistance in keeping'the stock of a clothing-store in good shape and condition and is calculated to save muchof the time of the salesman.

I am.well aware of the patent granted to one Ames, No. 492,772, of March 7, 1893, which discloses a transfer-binder comprising a base, uprights rising from the base, and a flap clutched to the uprights and adaptedto rest above the sheets to be bound. I am also aware of the patent of one Connor, No. 275,887, of April 17, 1883, which discloses a i hoseexhibitor cdmprising a bail having a horizontally-disposed portion, strips of metal or other suitable material loosely mounted on the horiz'ontal portion of the bail, and an elastic band surrounding the said strips, so as to clamp the upper ends of hose between the "same;

I make rio claim to tlie constructions above acknowledged; but 7 What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-= 1. The herein-described garmenhholder' comprising a-base, uprights connected to and rising from the base, and a plurality of gravitating, superposed leaves adapted to rest over and cover the garments to be held; the said leaves being provided at their edges with seats having open mouths and loosely receiving the uprights, whereby the weight of the leaves is imposed on the garments beneath them and they are rendered susceptible of being moved horizontally into and out of'en gagement with the uprights, substantially as specified.

2. The herein -described garment=holder comprising a base, uprights connected to and rising from the base, and a plurality of superposed leaves-arranged'on the base and hav= ing bayonet-slots at one end, of larger size than the uprights, loosely receiving said uprights, substantially as specified.

In'testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit= nesses.

FRANK L. NAPIER. Witnesses:

E. S. KELLEY, JNo. 0. ST. CLAIR. 

